Latvia uses police to quash talk of economic collapse Mar 20, 2009
There has been unrest: A 10,000-strong rally in the capital, Riga, turned violent in January ... In Riga, the trendy cafes, multistory shopping malls, and sleek sushi restaurants belie what the ordinary Latvians say about the declining state of things. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
International Players In NCAA Tourn... Mar 20, 2009
Rihards Kuksiks, F, So, Riga, Latvia (Florida Air Academy). Temple. (Suite101.com)
Latvians commemorate Waffen SS Mar 17, 2009
RIGA, Latvia - About 300 Latvians marched through the capital on Monday to commemorate countrymen who fought in a Waffen SS unit during World War II, defying a ban by city officials. Dozens of protesters mainly ethnic Russians jeered at the participants as they carried flowers to the base of the Freedom Monument in downtown Riga ... Unlike previous years, Riga city officials had prohibited World War II veterans and patriotic organizations from holding demonstrations, fearing they would... (MSNBC -- International)
New five-party coalition gov't takes office in Latvia Mar 13, 2009
Valdis Dombrovskis (3rd R, front), new Prime Minister of Latvia, Latvian President Valdis Zatlers (4th R, front) and other members of new government pose for a family photo in Riga, capital of Latvia, on March 12, 2009 ... RIGA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian parliament on Thursday approved a new five-party coalition government headed by Valdis Dombrovskis. (Xinhuanet, China)
The Riga School of Poetic Documenta... Mar 10, 2009
The Riga School of Poetic Documentary Cinema: Deep Latvian Cinema Opposing Soviet Filmmaking ... The Riga School of Poetic Documentary Cinema ... The Riga School of Poetic Documentary Cinema. (Suite101.com)
SS march divides Latvia and Russia Mar 9, 2009
March 16 is designated "Legionnaires Day" in Latvia, and traditionally includes a parade in central Riga to remember soldiers who fought on the German side in World War II. ... However, Riga experienced serious rioting as recently as January 13, as a result of political and economic troubles, so this year's event looks particularly inflammatory. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Cosmopolitan Riga: Paris of the Baltics Mar 7, 2009
Cosmopolitan Riga: Paris of the Baltics - Travel- msnbc ... Cosmopolitan Riga: Paris of the Baltics ... Young Latvian dancers perform a traditional dance marking the arrival of summer in2006 in old Riga, Latvia. (MSNBC -- Travel)
US Afghan supplies cross Russia Mar 4, 2009
A train carrying goods left the Latvian port of Riga last week and reached Kazakhstan by way of Russia, after Moscow agreed to allow such journeys. In coming months, hundreds of supply trains will reach Afghanistan via Russia and central Asian countries. (BBC News -- Americas)
'Life on hold' Mar 3, 2009
RENARS SPAKS, RIGA, LATVIA. I am self-employed. (BBC News)
Russia Stocks Go to First From Worst as Ukraine Falls, Strengthening Putin Mar 2, 2009
Latvias OMX Riga Index dropped 8 percent. While Russias government said the economy will contract for the first time in a decade and currency reserves are down 36 percent from August, the nations relative strength is raising Prime Minister s influence over former Soviet states. (Bloomberg)
Dombrovskis chosen as Latvian PM Feb 27, 2009
A protest in the capital, Riga, on 13 January ended in more than 100 arrests and more than 40 injuries ... "The previous government hasn't fulfilled its obligations under the agreement with the IMF," he told reporters in Riga. (BBC News -- Europe)
As Latvian economy falters, unrest grows Feb 26, 2009
Kalnins was one of a 1,000-strong army of angry farmers who blocked the capital of Riga with their tractors this month, leading Latvia's agriculture minister to resign ... "Everyone has lost their job - my mother, my best friend and my boyfriend," said Tatyana Makshtareva, 32, who herself was out of work for two months before finding a job at a Riga caf ... But now Brussels is often viewed as an overweening bureaucratic structure that pressured Riga to sign off on policies not in the nation's... (International Herald Tribune)
Flying to Lithuania? It may take a while Feb 25, 2009
To make matters worse, AirBaltic, the region's biggest airline, which is based in Riga, Latvia, cut some flights to and from Vilnius. "We must put effort in attracting foreign investment," said Mantas Nocius, the managing director of the Lithuanian Development Agency. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
* Latvian prime minister quits amid economic woes Feb 22, 2009
AFP, RIGA Sunday, Feb 22, 2009, Page 6 ... Latvians discontent over belt-tightening and politicians alleged corruption and nepotism came to a head in a Jan. 13 rally by 10,000 people in Riga, where hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Strong euro hits stag parties Feb 21, 2009
By Mark Broad Business reporter, BBC News, Riga, Latvia. "Why would you come to Riga if it's cheaper in London?" asks Parish Patel, who runs Paddy Whelan's Irish bar in the centre of the Latvian capital ... And it is not just the economic problems in the UK that are worrying the bar and hotel owners of Riga. (BBC News -- Europe)
Latvian Government Resigns After Recession Deepens, Coalition Falls Apart Feb 21, 2009
President told a news conference in Riga today that he had accepted the resignation and that talks on forming a new government would begin next week, which coincides with the visit of an International Monetary Fund mission ... The deepening economic crisis has sparked the worst street violence since independence, when hundreds rioted in Rigas old city, smashing windows and battling police after a peaceful anti- government demonstration of about 10,000 people on Jan. 13 had dissolved ... To... (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Latvia's government collapses Feb 21, 2009
The government in Riga, faced with forecasts of a severe drop in the economy this year, was the first in Eastern Europe to succumb to turmoil caused by the crisis ... "I wouldn't be surprised if it's 15 percent," Peteris Strautins, chief economist for Swedbank in Riga, said last week. (International Herald Tribune)
Latvian PM quits as crisis bites Feb 21, 2009
A protest over economic policy in the capital, Riga, on 13 January ended in more than 100 arrests. More than 40 people were injured. (BBC News -- Europe)
E. Europe currencies flattened by global economic crisis Feb 20, 2009
Robust growth in recent years put Porsches on the streets of Riga and dotted Warsaw's skyline with sleek new skyscrapers. Now, eastern Europe's economies suddenly face plunging growth and a looming currency crisis. (USA Today -- Money)
'Spesal' circumstances Feb 20, 2009
A restaurant in Riga is luring customers with a "nasing spesal" menu which looks like a crumpled sheet of paper with blue-inked revisions to the dishes. "We wanted to show that this menu is nothing special: the food is priced lower compared to the main menu and it's really nothing fancy," said restaurant worker Zane, 22. (iAfrica.com)
Life outside the euro zone proves tough for businesses Feb 18, 2009
A store announcing a closing down sale in Riga, Latvia, on Tuesday. (Ints Kalnins/Reuters). (International Herald Tribune)
US and Russia see common cause Feb 18, 2009
A Russian regional expert compared the cooperation with land-lease supplies during World War II. The agreement envisages that the US will reach its container cargoes for Afghanistan at the Baltic port of Riga, Latvia. From there, the containers will be transshipped by rail across Russia and Kazakhstan and further either via Uzbekistan or via Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. (Asia Times Online)
* Norway qualifies for 2010 Games Feb 10, 2009
Hungarys Andras Horvath, left, vies with Kostiantyn Simchuk of Ukraine during their Olympic qualification match in Riga, Latvia, on Sunday. Ukraine won 4-3. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Local Weather Feb 8, 2009
Melbourne, FL 32935 Last Updated: 02/08/09 07:15:32 EDT. C) Relative Humidity: 89% Barometer: 30. (Florida Today)
Hungarian troops on Cape Verde Islands for NATO drill Feb 8, 2009
The Cape Verde Islands maneuver would be a test for the effectiveness of the force and the result would be announced at the NATO summit in Riga, Latvia at the end of November this year. Enditem. (Xinhuanet, China -- World)
Afghanistan top issue for NATO Mar 31, 2008
NATO members committed to boosting efforts in Afghanistan 16 months ago at a summit in Riga, Latvia. But last fall, NATO failed to come up with 3,000 additional troops sought by the United States. (USA Today)
Kidnapped boy freed after 16 years Mar 27, 2008
RIGA, Latvia - A 16-year-old Latvian boy who was kidnapped as an infant could soon be reunited with his mother after a startling break in the case, authorities said Wednesday. Investigators made the discovery after the woman who raised the boy in Daugavpils, near the border with Belarus, was arrested in a separate case and questions arose about the boy's identity, police spokeswoman Inguna Dunda said. (MSNBC -- International)
Intrigue as Russian tycoon vanishes Mar 24, 2008
Police have launched a huge search after finding bloodstains and broken furniture turned upside-down in his home at the resort town of Jurmala, outside the capital, Riga ... A local newspaper reported that in the early hours he took a taxi from his home with two men and asked the driver to drop them in Riga outside the gay nightclub XXL. It is believed he disappeared the next day. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
London newspaper owner 'kidnapped by Russian far right' Mar 23, 2008
One local newspaper has claimed that the last person to see Mr Rozhetskin, 41, was a taxi driver who picked him up from his home along with two other men in the early hours of last Sunday morning, dropping the trio in the centre of Riga, outside the gay nightclub XXL. The club's employees have told police that they did not see the businessman. His car was found later in the capital's suburbs. (Independent)
Marchers honor German combat unit from World War II Mar 17, 2008
Protesters jeered as the procession of about 3,000 people - a few surviving members of the Waffen SS unit, known as the Latvian Legion, among them - arrived at the Freedom Monument in central Riga. Participants in the march sang patriotic songs and waved Latvian flags before laying roses at the base of the monument as protesters chanted "Disgrace!" and "Hitler is dead!" in Russian and blew whistles to drown out the singing. (International Herald Tribune)
Inflation hits even harder in Eastern Europe Mar 15, 2008
Shoppers examine potato prices at a vegetable stand in the central market in Riga, Latvia ... "A month ago this cost 2 lats, now it costs 3," he said holding a bag of curd cheese at the central market in Riga. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Parkinsonism Syndrome in Methcathinone Users and the Role of Manganese Mar 6, 2008
From the Department of Neurology (A.S., I.L.), the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (V.L.), the Department of Classical Infectology, Tuberculosis, and AIDS (P.A., I.E., B.R.), the Department of Radiology (A.P.), the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health (I.M.), and the Department of Psychiatry and Addiction (E.T.), Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia; and the Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom (M.D.). Address reprint... (New England Journal of Medicine)
The art of survivingPainter fled his homeland of Latvia 60 years ago, but it's still `somehow in my blood' Mar 2, 2008
Now it's hanging in the presidential castle of the Latvian capital, Riga ... He has many other paintings in Latvian art collections -- in the State Museum in Riga and the Art Museum in Jelgava. (Kalamazoo Gazette, MI)
Eastern Europe becomes victim of own economic success as inflation spirals out of control Feb 20, 2008
RIGA, Latvia Artur Arushanov dreads shopping these days ... Natalya Kiselyeva, 40, a Riga public school chemistry teacher, moonlights at a private school to afford Latvia's food prices, which have soared 20 percent over the past 12 months ... Throughout Riga, Latvia's capital, there are signs inviting both young and old to come work as bus drivers, cashiers and waiters. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Business)
Moscow DiaryHow might a Dmitry Medvedev presidency look? Feb 6, 2008
----------------- ----------------- RELATED BBC SITES. Last Updated: Tuesday, 5 February 2008, 14:19 GMT. (BBC News -- Europe)
Husband of Atlantic native named ambassador Jan 30, 2008
The new envoy, his wife, and their two sons, Will, 2 1/2, and John-Henry, 10 months, will be moving to the U.S. embassy in Riga, Latvia, in early February. Latvia is located between Estonia and Lithuania, on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, bordering the Russian Federation and Belorussia. (Atlantic News-Telegraph, IO)
Russia expels Latvia's diplomat Jan 26, 2008
The foreign affairs ministry in Riga said he diplomat posed a security threat to Latvia and had 48 hours to leave the country ... Riga and Moscow signed a border treaty in March 2007, making the boundary between the countries official for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 ... Riga denies the charge. (BBC News -- Europe)
Canadian composer Talivaldis Kenins dies at 88 Jan 25, 2008
He returned to Riga from 1940 to 1944 to study piano and composition at the State Conservatory with Joseph Wihtol. Kenins was forced from Latvia by the Soviet occupation following the Second World War and returned to France, where he continued studying at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris. (CBC.ca)
Hour-by-hour forecast Jan 3, 2008
Melbourne, FL 32935 Last Updated: 01/03/08 07:15:48 EDT. C) Relative Humidity: 55% Visability: 10 miles (16 km). (Florida Today)
Marvin Wachman, 90, university president Jan 1, 2008
Marvin Wachman was born in Milwaukee, the son of Alex Wachman, an immigrant from Riga, Latvia. His mother was the former Ida Epstein, who was born near Minsk in what is now Belarus. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
* Baltic-Russian ties tempered by oil, history Dec 26, 2007
By Aleks Tapinsh DPA, RIGA Wednesday, Dec 26, 2007, Page 9. Seventeen years after they pulled themselves out of the clutches of the Soviet empire, the relationship between the three Baltic states and Russia remains complicated. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Latvia battles fir tree raiders Dec 24, 2007
By Laura Sheeter BBC News, Riga. Forest rangers in Latvia say they are being overwhelmed by large numbers of people illegally cutting down Christmas trees near the capital Riga ... Latvians are allowed to cut down trees in designated national forest, 50km (31 miles) from Riga. (BBC News -- Europe)
Extension connection: Christmas tree traditions Dec 23, 2007
The first decorated Christmas tree was in Riga, Latvia in 1510. Christmas trees were sold in Alsace in 1531. (Canton Daily Ledger, IL)
Migration a lottery for many Dec 21, 2007
" For Byrnes, who returned to Australian with his fiancee in 2005, tracking and exposing Domburga became a personal mission. "The department [of immigration] said you are safe and washed their hands of it," he says. On November 28, 2005, the authority wrote to confirm Domburga's registration as a migration agent had been cancelled for five years. It told him it did "not have the power to order repayment of money or impose fines". Domburga had told another client she had professional indemnity... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Borders fall away for EU's East European members Dec 21, 2007
(Writing by Patrick Lannin in Riga, reporting by Martin Dokoupil in Bratislava, Karin Strohecker in Vienna, David Mardiste in Valka). (Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia). (Yahoo News -- Politics)
Post a comment Dec 17, 2007
Posted by: Simpleminded, Riga, Latvia 17 December 2007. The gap between rich and poor in the US would shrink if not for illegal aliens coming penniless into the country from the south. (International Herald Tribune)
Christmas-tree choices keep evolving Dec 17, 2007
In 1510, according to written records, residents of Riga, Latvia, danced around a rose-covered tree, and then set fire to it because that's how they rolled back then. Such was the celebration surrounding one of the earliest decorated Christmas trees. (AZCentral -- News)
* World News Quick Take Dec 16, 2007
A Riga forestry agency said on Wednesday a state body had invited residents to cut their trees from forests located 50km or more outside the capital, but people instead descended on protected areas around the city. The authority was quoted as saying that forest rangers around Riga had been struggling to keep people away. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Godmanis Is Appointed Latvian Prime Minister to Lead Five-Party Coalition Dec 15, 2007
Godmanis will have to communicate with the media and find support for his government in parliament, he said at a press conference in the Latvian capital Riga today. The president is seeking a new head of government after former Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, the country's longest- serving premier, resigned on Dec. 5 amid protests following his attempts to fire the top anti-corruption chief. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Latvians Seeking Free Christmas Trees Anger Rangers Dec 14, 2007
RIGA - Latvian authorities have given residents something to cheer about when they invited them to cut their own Christmas trees for free -- only to be chased away by forest rangers. A Riga forestry agency said on Wednesday a state body had invited residents to cut their trees from forests located 50 km (30 miles) or more outside the capital, but people had instead descended on protected areas around the city ... The authority was quoted by news agency LETA as saying that rangers in charge of... (Planet Ark, United States)
Latvian Economy Will Slow on Labor Market and Lending, Moody's Says Dec 12, 2007
To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Eglitis in Riga at. Last Updated: December 11, 2007 18:45 EST. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
Complete weather forecast Dec 7, 2007
Jackson, MS 39201 Last Updated: 12/07/07 07:45:24 EDT. C) Relative Humidity: 74% Barometer: 30. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Dukule Named to AVCA All-Northeast Region, Brown Named to Second Team Dec 7, 2007
The 6-4 native of Riga, Latvia led the Cardinals in hitting at. 342 with 350 kills and 102 total blocks and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week 11/5/07. (Uoflsports.com)
* HARDCOVER: USnHow the littlest Nazi turned out to be Jewish Dec 2, 2007
The soldiers' commander was Karl Lobe, a Latvian police chief later implicated in the murder of thousands of Jews outside Riga. In the 1960s, when Lobe was investigated for war crimes, Alex, pressured by his adoptive family of Nazi sympathizers, signed a statement exonerating him of wrongdoing. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Former Sen. Larson to be nominated ambassador to Latvia Dec 1, 2007
Russia and Belarus also are on its borders and its capital is Riga. Latvia's government is a parliamentary democracy, and the nation declared its independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. (Muscatine Journal, IO)
Unique, affordable destinations not on your list Nov 30, 2007
Riga, LatviaThis is the sleeper destination ... Riga has now become the largest and most cosmopolitan city in the Baltics ... Riga is also one of the three major seaports in Latvia, and is a mecca for water sports. (MSNBC -- Travel)
Real Christmas trees are big tradition Nov 29, 2007
The first recorded display of a decorated Christmas tree was in 1510, in Riga, Latvia. Christmas trees were decorated with fruit, cookies and candy that would later be shared among family members as gifts after the Holiday Season was over. (Laurel Outlook, MT)
Cycling Sue's charity challenge Nov 16, 2007
By riding from Riga in Latvia to Tallinn in Estonia she hopes to raise more than 2,500 for Marie Curie Cancer Care, which cares for terminally ill cancer sufferers. The Bike the Baltic from Warsaw to St Petersburg is divided into four stages and the leg that Sue has chosen to join will take five days. (Advertiser 24)
Latvia's Prime Minister to Step Down Nov 8, 2007
RIGA, Latvia Latvia's Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis said Wednesday that he would step down on Dec. 5 and that the four-party ruling coalition would immediately begin searching for a new head of government, his spokesman said. The decision follows weeks of intense pressure on Kalvitis, Latvia's longest serving prime minister since independence in 1991, from both the electorate and President Valdis Zatlers. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
He's been fired, but Latvian corruption chief hangs on Nov 7, 2007
Protesters gathered at the Parliament in Riga last month to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis after he fired the head of the anti-corruption office ... From Riga, to Warsaw to Bucharest, people who dare to take the issue seriously find themselves firmly on the defensive ... The commission's delegation in Riga has "definitely not" commented on the government's attempt to dismiss him, and a spokesman, who declined to be identified by name, called it "an internal matter" for... (International Herald Tribune)
Thousands of protesters in Latvia call for dissolution of Parliament Nov 4, 2007
Several thousand peaceful demonstrators poured onto the streets of Riga Saturday to rally against government corruption and demand the dissolution of Parliament ... Police said the protest, staged at Dome Square in Riga, was one of the largest political demonstrations since Latvia regained independence in 1991. (International Herald Tribune)
Rally demands new Latvian polls Nov 4, 2007
Anti-government protesters also turned out in Riga on 24 October. At least 7,000 Latvians have rallied peacefully in the capital, Riga, to call for the government to step down and for action against corruption ... Were you at the rally in Riga. (BBC News -- Europe)
Young Westerners return to their Latvian roots Nov 1, 2007
RIGA Dace Rungis can handle the icy glares from grocery-store clerks ... But Ms. Rungis, 36, a Toronto-born mother of two who moved to Latvia with her family two years ago, still rankles at the child-rearing advice she gets from total strangers, mostly older women, in Riga's playgrounds and parks ... During a recent interview in a Riga caf. (Globe and Mail -- International)
`Overheating' Emerging Markets Change GAM Fund's Bennett Into Baltic Bear Oct 31, 2007
Many consumers borrow in euros, because the European Central Bank's base rate stands at 4 percent, according to the Financial and Capital Markets Commission in Riga. Monetary Policy. (Bloomberg)
What's in it for me?Four of our European panellists give verdicts on EU treaty Oct 23, 2007
VIKTORIJA SPURINA, 23, RIGA, LATVIA. It is a very positive sign that European leaders finally managed to reach an agreement, even though it turned out rather technical. (BBC News -- Europe)
